Snow Sports NZ freeskier Finley Melville Ives (Wānaka, 17) has finished in fourth place at the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Calgary, marking the best World Cup result of his career.
Melville Ives said, “I am really happy that I managed to put down a clean run and I was stoked to put down a really clean 1620. That was the best run of my life and I am really happy to have done it in front of the awesome crowd in Calgary!”
Up against some the best in the world, including 2024 X Games Champion and Beijing 2022 Olympic bronze medalist Alex Ferreira (USA) and current World Champion Brendan Mackay of Canada, 17-year-old Melville Ives delivered an incredible performance.
Melville Ives laced together a flawless second run, going absolutely massive and including a hugely technical right double cork 1620 rotation, linked into a left double cork 1260 and a left double alley oop 900.
Melville Ives explained, “Before I dropped into my second run, I was thinking about making sure I had big, good take off’s so I could do my tricks really well. After I landed my 1620 I was smiling under my facemask and when I got to the bottom I was just so thrilled!”
This run had Melvilles Ives sitting in a nail biting third position right up until the final athlete, Jon Sallinen of Finland, took his run. Sallinen put down a highly technical run that just bumped Melville Ives off the podium.
Ferreira took the win, becoming the first freeskier ever to win every stop of a World Cup Halfpipe season and in the process securing the 2024 Crystal Globe. Sallinen finished in second place, with Seung Hun Lee of Korea claiming the first World Cup podium of his career, rounding out the podium in third.
Snow Sports NZ freeski coach Brad Prosser explained “We had a clear plan in place for tonight’s competition and Fin went out there and delivered his best performance. He has more in the bag, a lot to look forward to and tonight has made him hungrier than ever – he is right here with the top of the top in freeski halfpipe.”
Tonight’s event marked the final stop on the 2024 Freeski Halfpipe World Cup circuit, with Melville Ives finishing in tenth overall. Compatriot Luke Harrold (Lake Hāwea, 15) has finished in eighth place overall in his very first World Cup season.
